Greenville County school nurses overwhelmed, exhausted in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic

Nurses in the Greenville County School District, like their colleagues around the country, are facing  more work and more pressure with the surge of COVID-19 cases. 

The School District has 11 vacancies after starting the school year 18 nurses short. Since the start of the year, five nurses have resigned. Three nurses are on COVID-19 leave, and two are on personal leaves of absences, said Greenville County Schools' Director of Medical Health Services Janet Lage. There are typically 140 nurses on staff along with float nurses and a small pool of substitute nurses, she said. 

The reason for the shortage of nurses is a mixture of COVID-19 issues and the opportunity to make more money answer, Lage said.

"One thing we are struggling with locally is there are a lot of nursing opportunities due to COVID," Lage said.

Nurses in the School District start out making $40,000 a year for 190 days of work in the school year, Lage said. The average pay for a registered nurse in South Carolina is about $72,000 per year based on a 40-hour work week according to the employment website Indeed.com, and according to the South Carolina Department of Workforce, nursing is the career with the highest demand for workers at the moment, with more than 8,000 openings advertised online as of October 21.

Although nurses have not taken on contact-tracing duties, they are overwhlemed and exhausted by the additional workload brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lage said.

"Nurses still have a heavy load in the school district over and above their normal day-to-day duties with immunizations, chronic conditions, providing daily medications, and caring for any illness outside of COVID," Lage added. "They're trying to be a part of the school's team and support one another. Everyone is in the same boat trying to keep staff and students safe and healthy in the school setting right now." 

Sterling School Registered School Nurse Heather Garrison said it has been a challenging school year. She started in her position in the midst of the pandemic last year, and previously was a pediatric emergency room nurse for more than 12 years. 

"Last year, there were a lot more students virtual than this year, so there is a lot more work to be done," Garrison said. 

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Garrison helps train emergency responders in the school, such as teachers and administration, creates care plans for students with chronic illnesses or allergies, and assists with taking medications, and prepares the documentation that goes along with all of that. Her work also includes helping any students who come into her room ill, on top of COVID-19 cases. 

"It's just an extra element you didn't have prior to COVID," Garrison added. "It adds another level of busy-ness." 

Garrison said she hears much of the same from other school nurses.

"It takes longer to get things accomplished dealing with COVID, having to stay longer to get everything done, and no parent wants to hear their child is in quarantine," she said. "I've had crucial conversations with parents and have been more apologetic because I get behind on the communication I was able to give out better last year, but am now more busy with quarantine and isolating kids. 

She said fortunately the school administration has been appreciative and supportive in helping with what she needs. 

"It's been a big asset to know they understand how busy we are and appreciate what we are doing, and the principal is really amazing," Garrison added. 

Despite the added stress of this year's increased workload, the shift to being a school nurse has allowed Garrison to take a needed break from a stressful job.  

"It was a move that allowed me to take care of my children and not be on call, no overtime, I get holidays off. Those are the perks of working in a school setting, but it has still been busy and just a different level of stress since COVID." 

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Lage said her team manages COVID-19 protocols and answers questions that align with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) guidelines. 

They monitor students with COVID-19 symptoms, keep in contact with parents, provide guidance for students and staff members who present symptoms or report positive cases and close contact of someone who tested positive. The team also communicates with staff and students how long they need to quarantine or isolate either because they tested positive for COVID-19 or came in contact with someone who did and determines when they can return to school either with a negative COVID-19 test or a note from their doctor. 

As of Wednesday, 258 students were isolating due to COVID-19, 965 were quarantining, 42 staff members were isolating, and 30 were quarantining, according to District spokesman Tim Waller.

Students and staff isolating are told to stay away from other people because they tested positive for COVID-19, Waller added. For those directed to quarantine, they have been identified as a "close contact" with someone who has tested positive, meaning was within six feet or less of distance with the positive case for 15 minutes or more, he said. 

Garrison said school nurses are required by DHEC to do the paperwork and calls to parents that comes along with handling COVID-19 cases, but if the cases continue to decrease, she questions whether or not they are really preventing much illness by doing the extra work and if it's worth all the resources being poured into it. 

"It would require a change from DHEC to let up on the extra work," said Garrison. 

Education and Family Issues Reporter Krys Merryman can be reached at 864.420.7111 or kmerryman@greenvillenews.com. Continue the conversation or join a new one on our Education and Family Issues in Greenville Facebook page or on Twitter @krys_merryman.